While some churches in Volusia County have adopted the more modern approach of providing housing allowances for their pastors, others still prefer the traditional church parsonage.

At First Baptist Church of Holly Hill, pastor Thomas Myers, his wife, Joyce, and two children, make their home in the parsonage next door to the church.

The 25-year-old house sits on what Mrs. Myers, who is the church secretary, calls a ''postage stamp-sized lot'' at the intersection of 5th Street and busy Ridgewood Avenue.

Myers said her family moved there last September and have been pleased to find the parishioners respectful of their privacy, even though they live so close to the church.

''I grew up in Arizona as a minister's daughter and we also lived on a major highway,'' she said. ''Back then, like now, people would come in off the highway needing help, such as using the telephone. First Baptist reminds me of that old church on Highway 66.''

Churches that provide parsonages also may pay utilities, she said. ''It depends on what the pastor and the church board of directors work out. Everything is a package deal,'' she said. First Baptist pays the utilities, but the family buys their own furniture.

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in DeLand sold its rectory six months ago and decided to pay housing allowances instead.

''The church has maintained a rectory here for more than 100 years,'' said the Rev. David Suella, pastor. ''We realized the sale would benefit the pastor, the church and the community.''

Suella, who has been pastor there for 12 years, said he bought a home after the rectory was sold. He said the purchase will give him a home to retire to. ''The church benefits because the house was too big and having work done by the maintenance committee didn't work very well,'' Suella said. The community also benefits by having the house put on the county tax roll, he said. Church property is not included on the tax rolls.

The Rev. Robert Gorday, who has been pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in DeLand for 2 1/2 years, said his church maintains two parsonages; one for him and one for the assistant pastor.

Gorday said the majority of United Methodist churches provide parsonages. The others offer housing allowances to their ministers. He said housing allowances let the minister decide where to live and to build equity in a house.

At the Church of the Nazarene in New Smyrna Beach the Rev. Chuck Acheson, a pastor since 1962, said he never has owned a home.

''I would prefer a housing allowance to living in a parsonage,'' he said. ''There are pros and cons to living in a parsonage.''

With a housing allowance, the minister has to worry about finding a place to live or maintaining the home and most families feel more at home in their own house, he said.

Without ever owning a home, ministers lose the investment opportunity and tax benefits, he said.

''Those who have been in the ministry for several years usually welcome a housing allowance, but the younger ministers sometimes prefer a parsonage,'' Acheson said. ''I believe that offering the allowance motivates pastors to stay in an area longer.''

A parsonage committee oversees the two parsonages of First United Methodist Church of Deltona. Church secretary Linda Fick said one house, about a mile from the church, has served as a parsonage for about 15 years.

The 16-year-old church pays all the utilities and other expenses. The committee sees that all the needs of the pastor and his family are met.

Fick said that in the past few years the pastor and associate pastor have swapped homes due to their likes and dislikes. He said the Rev. Morgan Park ''recently moved into the parsonage in Deltona's third area because it has lots of room for his garden.''